Positive plate for batteries



ay 6, 1958 J. SALAUZE I POSITIVE PLATE FOR BATTERIES Filed July 9. 1954 NICKEL PAATED WIRE GRID SUPPORT K o zoo o 000 2224 5:

SINTERED COATING FORMED I FROM A MIXTURE o/ NICKEL AND 51/. V67? POWDER S/NTERED caA-r nvs FORMED FROMA MIXTURE OF'N/CREL AND SILVER POWDER I V Zgl 4- ME'ITALL 1c SUPPORT PARTICLE SKELETON S/L VER POWDER PA R TICLES lNvr-iNToR J (Ya/maze nited 1 and secondary cells using silveras the active *material at the positive electrode are already' known =in -the When such electrodes are used in-secondary --cells,- a gradual lossfof 'their-capacity,- during-thei periods a of charge and discharge, can be. noted.

This early ageing of si lver electrodes is probably- 'due to thefact that, during the-electrochemical:reactions the silveragrains used in said electrodesagglomerate" gradually-together." The agglomerated masses'become slowly '-irnpervio us to the electrolyte.

- Anobject ofthe-invention isito c-onstructamew type 11 of. silver electrode more able to retainlits initial capacity, =-when in service.

. A second object' of "the invention is to co'nstructez new -t ype ofsilver-electrode 'having a. greater 'efdciency.

Another-object 1 of the. inventionis to construct-a: new

type of silver electrode provided with a highly selec- -trically= conductive metallic frame, inorder: that it. may be able to deliver' discharges-at: very high intensities, :-.-whi.le there is no substantial reduction 1. ofxthe '--voltage.

-In the accompanying drawing: *LFig. l---is.a partially broken-away elevationalwiew of an electrode embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of a modified electrode also embodying-the"invention," and Fig. 3 i553, jdiagnammatic.illustrationacn an exaggerated scaleof a. cross-sectional -view taken. along .line 3- -.3 of Fig.1.

The electrode according to the invention .is .essentially -composedof a sintered porous mass,-.said mass.,consisting'in a mixture of nickel and silver grains'fbeing an integral part of'an electrically conductive metallic surface. IIlSllChlBIl electrode, the nickel grains whichiare superficially welded together by means of sintering', form a reticulated skeleton which encloses the silver grains, and at the same time divides and separates them, thus preventing their agglomeration during the electrochemical exchanges. Moreover, the sintering of the nickel grains results in welding .the nickel skeleton onto the metallic frame. porosity which makes the electrochemical exchanges easier. Indeed experiment has shown that the efiiciency of the silver present in such new types of plate is decidedly greater than in the plates known in the old art. Besides, the ageing of the silver grains is greatly reduced or even suppressed. Lastly, each grain of the active material has a good electrical connection with the corresponding terminal of the plate, said connection being established through the adjoining nickel powder and the metallic frame.

The powders which are used to produce the sintered porous mass are preferably as fine as possible, in order that each grain may have a very large surface in relation to its weight. Electrochemical exchanges are thus promoted to the utmost.

Nickel powder is preferably obtained through the thermal decomposition of nickel carbonyl. However, the invention is not to be construed as being limtied to this sole rates .ate Y Said nickel skeleton, besides, gives a sufficient I 2,833,847 wRatentedi May E6, @1958 process, and nickel powder may'beprep'ared through-any other suitable process: for instance; through -.there'duction 1 by hydrogen: of a -"nickel oxide "powder. More generally, .111 can? aiserany. :metal! substantially 'inalterable. in -the-.-.elec- 5'1; roly e,. g'iving: :fine powders. of Flightdensitiesrwhich. can the :sintered: below $900 LC; :1 However; nickel -is :the preferred metal. I v 1 Silver-powder may: the. obtained through-the reduction .rfo uxfinely ground 'isilver oxide,.. either'by .electnolysisrof omeasilver :salt; i ort by 1chemicallyndisplacing rtheIsilver oftwone. aof; its saltsg'by' :means of 1 an :electronegative'. metal such aszzinc; .Silvermayalsobe used inttheformofis'ilver oxide powder .whichis: prepared. according toskthe usual .rxprocesses.v Silveraoxide .canazbeused becauseit .is re- 15. need tormetal during-the sintering operation.

' Thesiamount ,0f-SllVI".'( active metal) in .the.:mixtur.e is :cprefer-ablyhigher; than-.the :amount of nickel. (supporting f .smetal) .5 :The:.amount. of; silver. in. weight may nange from ..60%ito.as high .as:80% of the total: weight of the powder. rlz'Fhez;sintei'ingofz the:mixture..is.:best leffectecbin a w: reducing :atmosphere in 2 order ;.that; the: alterationiotuthe :.metals -.:may be xvavoided. "I vhavediscovered a that 'fnthe .1izsinterings:.temperaturewshould :not. be 1- too .highbecause '1 :a such:.- temperature promotes r-the z-agglomeration :ofaithe 25..;sil-.verng-rains. ion: the otherrhand, ifuthetemperature is tom-low, the:.=nickel xgrainscannot be :sintered :together, '1' whiclr is necessary to: establish a. sufficient mechanical .ncohesion throughout thesintered mass: these reasons tliexs'intering operation. mustbeeliectedat atemperat-ure .zranging abetween 7 ()0 C: and 1900. .C.,.; and .at preferably 00?. ;C. :Theduration: of: the. operation .depends ens-the temperature-adopted. @It is about 30minutes at the tem- .-.perature of -8.00. C.

a The: highestipomsity; ofcourse, gis.wobtainediwheni.the mixture. to; :beasinte red is not: subjected to; anymompres :zuzsionl I;:have:- found:that.inpsuch a casez-thescohesion of :nthe produce'dplate is;-not:;very :gOOd."VBOthJGOHdltiOIIS wot cohesion and porosity can be satisfied by. subjeotingtthe :a .mixture; either before orsduring'sintering, .to .a: ,slightrcom- 4gsgpressionzforr.example, of 1 approximately; onex'kilogram er square centimetres of the surface;:utl1e.=siuteringt of he'anickehparticles ismadeeasierin that way. I Example: .Oneproduces.zanaintimate mixtu1=e. ;of; 7.0% OfiuChElTllGfidlY: prepared silver powder. passing through a ow,der0;9; density+derived from the. decomposition of keltcarbonylz .fl hemetalliczsupportL-ofy-the plate ..has interstices and is either a thin, largely perforated nickel plated sheet (for example 40% of perforations, with holes of 2 millimetres diameter) or a nickel plated steel frame unto which .a grid of thin nickel plated steel or copper wire, having a mesh a few millimetres wide, is welded. The nickel-silver powder-s mixture is deposited in thin layers on either side of the support which is thus embedded in said mixture. The assembled plate is heated up for a period of 30 minutes, in .a reducing atmosphere, at the temperature of 800 C. A test conducted in such way has given the following records:

Total weight of the plate: 120 grammes Weight of the nickel-silver powder: grammes Amount of the silver being used: 5 6 grammes Thickness of the plate being obtained: 2 millimetres Sintering: 30 minutes at 800 C.

5 Theoretical capacity of the plate: 28 ampere-hours Real capacity on the 2nd cycle: 25.5 ampere-hours Real capacity on the th cycle: 24 ampere-hours The positive plates so prepared are used as positive 70 electrodes in primary and secondary cells where they are associated with any negative electrode (iron, cadmium, zinc, magnesium) to be used in a cell in which the electrolyte is an aqueous solution of an alkaline hy mesh/sq. in. screen, with the major portion by weight of the mixture being the silver providingsubstance, providing a supporting member having interstices, coating said mixture over and into the interstices of the supporting member and sintering the coated assembly.

2. A method of producing an electrode plate for use upon charging of an alkaline electrolyte cell as a positive, electrode plate thereof comprising the .steps of preparing an intimate mixture consisting of finely divided powdered nickel particles and finely divided powder particles of silver containing substance in the proportions of from 60%80% by weight of silver and 40%-20% by weight of nickel, said powdered nickel particles having a density of approximately 0.9 and said powder particles of silver being capable of passing an approximately 300 mesh/ sq. in. size screen, providing a metallic supporting member having interstices, applying the powder mixture-to the.

supporting member so as to coat its surfaces and also to fill its interstices, applying pressure to the assembly of approximately one kilogram per square centimeter,

and sintering the coated and compressed assembly in a reducing atmosphere at a temperature ranging from.

700 C. to 900 C. to efiect a welding together of particles of the nickel powder in the form of a reticulated skeleton in whose voids particles of silver are lodged and maintained in a divided condition by the skeleton thus preventing the agglomeration of the silver particles.

3. A method of producing an electrode plate for use upon the charging of an alkaline electrolyte cell as its positive plate comprising the steps of preparing an intimate mixture consisting of finely divided powdered nickel particles of approximately 0.9 density derived from the thermal decomposition of nickel carbonyl and of finely divided silver powder capable of passingapproximately 300 mesh/sq. in. screen and derived by chemicaldisplacement by zinc of silver from an aqueous solution of a silver salt and in which the weight of 'the silver powder ranges from approximately 60% up to" 80% of the total weight of the powdered mixture, providing a metallic supporting member having interstices, applying the powder mixture to the supporting member so as to coat its surfaces and fill its interstices, applying mild compression of approximately one kilogram per square centimeter to the assembly, and sintering the assembly in a reducing atmosphere at a temperature ranging from 700 C. to 900 C. to effect the welding together of particles of the nickel powder in the form of a reticulated skeleton which is also welded 'to said support and in whose voids particles of silver are lodged and maintained in a divided condition by the nickel skeleton thus preventing agglomeration of the silver particles.

4. A method of producing an electrode plate for use upon charging of an alkaline electrolyte cell as its positive electrode comprising the steps of preparing an intimate mixture consisting of finely divided powdered nickel particles of approximately 0.9 density and derived from the thermal decomposition of nickel carbonyl and of finely divided silver oxide powder capable of passing approximately 300 mesh/sq. in. screen and in which the weight of the silver oxide powder ranges from approximately 60% up to 80% of the total weight of the powsupport and in whose voids particles of silver are lodged 1 dered mixture, providing a metallic supporting member having interstices, applying the powder mixture to the supporting member so as to coat its surfaces and fill its interstices, applying mild compression of approximately one kilogram/square centimeter to the assembly and sintering the coated assembly in a reducing atmosphere at a temperatureranging from 700 C. to 900? C. to effect the welding together of particles of the nickel powder in the form of a skeleton which is also welded to said and maintained in a divided condition by the nickel skeletonv thus preventing agglomeration of the silver particles. 7

5. As an article of manufacture an electrode plate prepared according to the process of claim 2.

6. As an articleot manufacture an electrode plate prepared according to the process of claim 3.

7. As an article of manufacture'an electrode plate prepared according to the process of claim 4.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,561,943 M'oulton et al July 24, 1951 2,700,693 Fischback J an. 25, 1955 2,724,733 H'agspihl et al Nov. 22, 1955 2,737,541 Coolidge Mar. 6, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 27,861 Great Britain Mar. 23, 1905 

1. A METHOD OF PRODUCING AN ELECTRODE FOR USE AS A POSITIVE PLATE FOR A CHARGED ALKALINE CELL, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF PREPARING A MIXTURE BY INTIMATELY MIXING A FINELY DIVIDED NICKEL POWDER HAVING A DENSITY OF APPROXIMATELY 0.9 AND A SILVER PROVIDING SUBSTANCE IN THE FORM OF FINELY DIVIDED POWDER CAPABLE OF PASSING AN APPROXIMATELY 300 MESH/SQ. IN. SCREEN, WITH THE MAJOR PORTION BY WEIGHT OF THE MIXTURE BEING THE SILVER PROVIDING SUBSTANCE, PROVIDING A SUPPORTING MEMBER HAVING INTERSTICES, COATING 